The USDA has released a new retail list for the Farm Rich products recalled for E. coli O121 and linked to a multistate outbreak. The products include frozen chicken quesadillas, pizza slices, mozzarella bites, Philly steaks, meatball sandwiches, and other heat treated, not fully cooked frozen mini meals and snack foods. At least 27 people are sick in 15 states, and two of the patients have developed HUS.
Look carefully at this long list of stores that sold the products. Nationwide retailers include Alco and Walmart. The smaller stores and chains that sold the recalled foods are in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The people who have been sickened by the contaminated products live in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The outbreak stain of the bacteria has been found in the chicken quesadillas and in the mini pizza slices. All products produced at the company’s Waycross Georgia facility between July 1, 2011 and March 29, 2013 have been recalled. The recalled products all have “best by” dates ranging from January 1, 2013 to September 29, 2014.
Public health officials are confident that some of these products are still in home freezers. Please check your freezer to see if you have any; if so, return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If you ate any of these products and have experienced the symptoms of E. coli, including watery and/or bloody diarrhea, severe stomach and abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and mild fever, see your doctor immediately. Even a mild case of E. coli can lead to serious health problems in the future.
